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10 things we know about the NFL after Week 1

By Steve DiMatteo

Dec 16, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice (27) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season is officially in the books, and here are five things we know coming out of it:

1. The NFL’s top priority is making sure it looks good, no matter who suffers. But we pretty much already always knew that, right? The release of video evidence of former Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then-fiancee Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City casino only makes the situation worse for the league. Just about no one believes the league hasn’t seen that video, and to not immediately suspend Rice much longer than two games when knowing that information seems like pretty damning evidence (once again) that the NFL considers its entertainment product the top priority above everything else.

2. The Seattle Seahawks continue to look Super. By drubbing the Packers 36-16, it’s obvious that the Seahawks remain the team to beat in the NFL. An absolutely smothering defense will continue to do its thing, so long as teams remain so utterly scared of Richard Sherman that they won’t even try to throw his way.

Sep 7, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer (6) passes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer (6) passes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Johnny Manziel will be riding the bench for a while. After a nightmare of a first half, down 27-3 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, the Cleveland Browns appeared destined for yet another beatdown at the hands of their “rival.” But the Browns put together a miraculous hurry-up comeback in the second half, tying the game at 27 before ultimately losing on a last-second field goal. But even in the loss, it proved that current starter Brian Hoyer is capable of leading the team even in the most trying of circumstances. He made big throws to get the Browns back in that game and seemingly silenced every pro-Manziel fanatic — for now.

4. The New York Giants’ brand-new offense needs…work. Eli Manning threw two interceptions but that was mostly due to complete confusion between him and his receivers Monday night. The entire group was out of sync for the most part, as Manning completed just 54 percent of his passes (which actually sounds about right).

5. Matt Ryan’s going to enjoy having his receivers back. With Julio Jones and Roddy White finally healthy, the Falcons quarterback threw for a ho-hum 448 yards and three touchdowns in leading Atlanta to an overtime win against the Saints. The Falcons really didn’t seem to be on many radars going into the season, and Atlanta’s defense is going to cause plenty of shootouts, but we might want to get used to more days like this from Ryan.

6. Maybe we shouldn’t pay as much attention to injury reports? Especially when they can be so conflicting. Remember when Cardinals running back Andre Ellington was supposedly going to miss weeks and weeks with a foot injury? Well, if you were one of the brave souls to watch Monday’s late Chargers-Cardinals game, you saw Ellington running around for 13 carries and 53 yards, along with five catches for 27 yards. It wasn’t mind-blowing production, but it was certainly surprising to see him get 18 touches just days after practically being declared dead.

Sep 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) sacks St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis (9) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The Minnesota Vikings defeat St. Louis Rams 34-6. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) sacks St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis (9) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The Minnesota Vikings defeat St. Louis Rams 34-6. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Is it 2015 yet for the Rams? Without Sam Bradford, St. Louis is a complete mess on offense. And with backup Shaun Hill already injured, the Rams potentially have to roll with third-stringer Austin Davis. There were high expectations going into this season, but those have been blown up immediately. Only 15 more weeks to go!

8. What happened to Robert Griffin III? A new offense didn’t seem to do Griffin any favors on Sunday in Washington’s 17-6 loss to the Texans, as he threw for 267 yards but couldn’t find the end zone. It’s been a pretty quick and steep fall from grace for Griffin, who was considered a darling of the league just two seasons ago.

9. A Derek Anderson sighting! Anderson took over for an injured Cam Newton and led the Panthers to a 20-14 Week 1 win, which will make Browns fans weep/laugh in corners everywhere. The good news for Newton when he returns is that Kelvin Benjamin looks every bit the dynamic presence he was supposed to be. The rookie caught six passes for 92 yards and a score.

10. New England isn’t invincible. The Patriots have simply been so good for so long that it’s still taking some time to adjust to the fact that they lost in the opening game to the Miami Dolphins of all teams (though the Dolphins could finally take that next step this year). Is Tom Brady a mere mortal? Is it possible that the team might actually miss Logan Mankins? For so long, the Patriots have just felt like so much of a lock, especially against divisional opponents, that it’s going to take some time for everybody to mentally adjust to this new world in which we live.

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